Reindeer Herders’ Festival in Yamal 2019 Package

Package Overview

It's a one-day holiday, celebrated annually in Salekhard and Aksarka, Yamal-Nenets region in the Russian Arctic. In 2019 the festival will take place on 23rd March in Salekhard and 30th March in Aksarka village.For the indigenous nomadic Nenets people, Reindeer Herders festival Day is a major event, which offers a chance to meet with friends, to compete in contests of physical skill and a variety of other competitions, as well as to share their unique culture with the world, which has remained unchanged through the centuries until the present day. On this tour you not only will witness the Reindeer Herders' Festival in Yamal but also will stay with Nenet family far away from the city to fully immerse in the nomadic way of life.

The Yamal peninsula is home to 15,000 reindeer herders. Unlike many nomadic tribes in Russia and the world-over, the Nenets are have largely retained their traditional way of life, and are famed for having longest nomadic migration routes in the world. They wear clothing made of reindeer fur, sewn using reindeer sinew as thread, and live in conical tents made of reindeer fur and known as “chums”. Across a single year, the Nenets may migrate up to 2,000km, transporting their chums and all their possessions on home-made, wooden sledges, accompanied by herds of reindeer up to 10,000 strong.International flights, Russian tourist visa, travel insurance, tips

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : Moscow

  Arrive in Moscow and transfer to the hotel, where we’ll spend a restful night before the long journey to Yamal in the morning. Depending on the arrival time, a city tour can be arranged on this date upon request.

• Day 2 : Salekhard

  Transfer to the airport for a flight to the town of Salekhard (2h 30min). With a population of around 43,000, Salekhard is the administrative centre of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region, the only city in the world located right at the Polar Circle.
  
  On arrival, meet a guide and transfer to the hotel. Your guide will check your equipment and will answer your questions about the upcoming tour program.

• Day 3 : Reindeer Herders' Day

  After breakfast at the hotel, we board an all-terrain vehicle, which will take us for an hour drive to the small village, located at the foot of the Polar Ural Mountains. Here we jump on the snowmobiles and wooden box sledges for travelling further north to the Nenets camp.
  
  These days, over 50% of Yamal’s Nenets are still nomadic, and most have relatives in small villages, who live sedentary lives and provide accommodation to nomadic relatives during rare visits. Unlike many nomadic tribes in Russia and the world-over, the Nenets are have largely retained their traditional way of life and are famed for having longest nomadic migration routes in the world. They wear clothing made of reindeer fur, sewn using reindeer sinew as thread, and live in conical tents made of reindeer fur and known as “chums
  In a single year, the Nenets may migrate up to 2,000km, transporting their chums and all their possessions on homemade, wooden sledges, accompanied by herds of reindeer up to 10,000 strong.
  
  The Yamal Nenets speak a language completely unrelated to Russian and some families practice an animistic religion based on deep reverence for nature, paying tribute to the spirits that inhabit the natural world through reindeer sacrifices and shamanistic rituals.
  On arrival to Nenets camp (“stoybische”), meet our hosting family and enjoy a dinner and friendly chat with a Nenet family in their teepee called “chum”. If you are lucky enough this evening will spoil you with the magic show: look up for Aurora Borealis dancing in the starry sky.

• Day 4 : Transfer to the Nenets Camp

  For the next 2 days, you’ll be living with the nomads, eating and sleeping in their Chums (tepees).
  
  There will be no fixed itinerary for these days. Instead, this is a uniquely immersive experience, where guests observe and take part in the daily lives of the nomads. Assisted by the expert Nenets, your tasks could include herding reindeer and lassoing the animals using rawhide lassoes.
  
  As one of the few sources of available food, reindeer are butchered at the camp as needed. The meat is divided up and eaten (usually raw) and the Nenets are also partial to drinking reindeer blood (partaking in this practice is optional!)
  You’ll also have the chance to involve yourself in the preparations for making a new campsite, sledding into the forest to cut trees for firewood, collecting ice or snow for water, helping to build new sledges, sewing fur clothing and other activities essential for survival. It’s not all work though. There will be plenty of time for relaxation and be socialising with your hosts and other members of the community.

• Day 5 : Days with Nenets

  The main spectacle is the incredible variety of reindeer races, including the trot, sledding races and even reindeer skiing. There are also competitions for national sports, such as sled jumping, lasso throwing, axe throwing and tug of war. Amid the vibrant atmosphere of the festival, you’ll find stalls selling handicrafts made of bones, fur and beads, as well as favourite regional dishes made of reindeer meat and frozen steak.
  
  Based on the cultural and spiritual traditions of the northern indigenous peoples, all the activities that take place at the Reindeer Herders Festival are aimed at their support and preservation.
  After lunch in the city, we’ll enjoy a short tour of Salekhard, a town founded by Russian settlers in 1595 after the conquest of Siberia. We will visit the Shemanovskiy museum, which focuses on Yamal’s regional culture and natural history, including a fascinating exhibition on mammoth remains discovered in the region and the 16th-century fortress of Obdursk, the first Russian settlement built in the area.

• Day 6 : Days with Nenets

  The main spectacle is the incredible variety of reindeer races, including the trot, sledding races and even reindeer skiing. There are also competitions for national sports, such as sled jumping, lasso throwing, axe throwing and tug of war. Amid the vibrant atmosphere of the festival, you’ll find stalls selling handicrafts made of bones, fur and beads, as well as favourite regional dishes made of reindeer meat and frozen steak.
  
  Based on the cultural and spiritual traditions of the northern indigenous peoples, all the activities that take place at the Reindeer Herders Festival are aimed at their support and preservation.
  After lunch in the city, we’ll enjoy a short tour of Salekhard, a town founded by Russian settlers in 1595 after the conquest of Siberia. We will visit the Shemanovskiy museum, which focuses on Yamal’s regional culture and natural history, including a fascinating exhibition on mammoth remains discovered in the region and the 16th-century fortress of Obdursk, the first Russian settlement built in the area.

• Day 7 : Departure to Moscow

  It's time to say goodbye to Russian Arctic. After breakfast at the hotel, you will embark on the comprehensive tour of Salekhard. After lunch you will be transferred to the airport for a flight back to Moscow.

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Inclusions

• Hotel
• Sightseeing
• Accommodation
• 3* hotel accommodation in Salekhard and Moscow
• Homestay with Nenets (teepees)
• Meals
• Breakfasts in the hotel
• All meals during stay with Nenets
• Transportation
• Airport transfers
• All transportation on tour (car, 4wd cars, snowmobiles)
• Guides
• Professional local English-speaking tour leader
• experienced drivers, local hosts
• Activities and sights
• Activities and experiences according to the tour program
• Other
• Internal flights
• Arctic safety equipment
• All permits required for the region
• Russian visa support document (invitation letter)
• Russian visa can be arranged by 56th Parallel for an additional cost (for Australian citizens only).

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Exclusions

• International flights, Russian tourist visa, travel insurance, tips

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Price & Rates

* Mentioned prices may vary depending upon date of travel, hotel availability, surge pricing and seasonal rush.

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Package Start From

• Moscow, Russia, Europe

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Terms & Conditions

Payment Terms & Methods :
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.

Cancellation & Refund Policy :
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

This Tour is Offered by

56th Parallel View Profile

0 / 5

• Level 1, 55 Grafton St, Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia - 2022
• XXXXXX7785 View Contact
• XXXXXXXXXX@tourtravelworld.com View Mail ID

About 56th Parallel

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Interested in This Tour?

• Requests are send directly to the tour operator
• We recommend to request quotes from 3 operators